Orangutans - Indonesia

Orangutans are the only ape representatives living out of Africa. Nowadays, they are living just on Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are the biggest apes in the world; they can weigh up to 90 kg. Even though some of the gestures and movements are quite human-like, according to the research they are very different from people by their nature.

They live in the wild forest; where they are regardless of their weight jumping over the tree branches and lianas. Their name came from the Malay words ‘orang hutan’, man from the forest. They are mostly herbivore, eating fruit, small roots, leaves and nuts. Occasionally they can eat small insect, eggs or little mammals as well.

Even though they live quite long time, they are seldom reproducing. Females start to have children first in the tenth year of their life. The young orangutans are living with their mother for seven years, sometimes even longer. Females can reproduce till the age of 30 and they have in average one young orangutan per 6 years.

Unfortunately the number of orangutans is decreasing so they can now be observed in just a couple national parks and rehabilitation centers. The uncontrolled lumbering makes the forest too small for them, and as the lumbers are not taking care of the animals, they can often be injured by falling tree. The rehabilitation centers are trying to put the injured orangutans back to the life in the forest. Unfortunately the illegal lumbering is increasing fast and the life space for orangutans starting to be quite limited so the orangutans are now listed as an endangered species.

The photos were made at Tanjung Putting National Park on Kalimantan (Indonesian part of Borneo island). Orangutans can be spot at Gunung Leuser National Park at north Sumatra near Bukit Lawang, and also at Kalimantan’s National Parks Kutai, Gunung Palung a Bukit Raja. Another place where you can find them is in Malaysian Borneo at Sabah and Sarawak provinces.

Tanjung Putting National Park is located in central Kalimantan close to Pangkalanbun city, about 600 km northeast of capital Jakarta.